Hall of Famer Calls Out Current Star

Goose Gossage, a Hall of Fame pitcher of the New York Yankees doesn’t appreciate the way some young players act on the field. Jose Bautista, one of the most electric players in professional baseball likes to play with what they call “flair.” This past October, during the playoffs for the 2015 season, Jose Bautista hit a very crucial late innings home run and with emotions high, he through his bat high in the air doing what baseball players call “pimping” his home run. Pimping has become bigger and bigger throughout baseball today, it basically lets everybody know that you are the man, but it is seen to be very disrespectful.
Goose had some very harsh words for Mr. Bautista. He said “Bautista is a f—ing disgrace to the game, He’s embarrassing to all the Latin players, whoever played before him. Throwing his bat and acting like a fool, like all those guys in Toronto.”
Gossage is an old school player who played in a different time period where baseball was a gentleman’s game meaning they respected one another and the game. Now baseball is all about looking cool and showing off.
I agree with Goose Gossage, he brings up a great point that the game is turning into a popularity contest to see who can make the other player look like a fool. I also agree that players who throw their bats are bad for the game of baseball.
What it does is teach young players bad habits. There are videos all over the internet of young 15 year olds throwing their bats as high as they can after they hit a homerun, which is absolutely unacceptable.
The game of baseball has changed since Gossage played, but there are unwritten rules to abide by and if we are breaking the rules of respect in the game, we should be ashamed of ourselves.
I am a college baseball player who loves seeing homeruns and I think it is great for the game of baseball, but I also think that baseball is about class and if you beat somebody, you don’t rub it in their face.
I understand that people want to see homeruns and they want to see their favorite players throw their bats in the air after hitting a homerun and watch them trot around the bases, but if we are setting a standard of disrespect, then we are not teaching young players how to play the game.
I also understand that when Jose Bautista flipped his bat that it was a big moment in the game and a big moment in the season, but we need to hold professionals to a higher standard, emotions were running high and sometimes we can’t control them, but there are many better ways to show your excitement then disrespecting the pitcher.
Goose Gossage did a very good thing for the game of baseball when he called out Bautista. He called to attention a problem in baseball today that would have gotten you hurt back when he played.
Young players such as Bautista, Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals), and Josh Donaldson (Toronto Blue Jays) bring a certain level of attitude to the game that is both good and bad. They become fan favorites who get people to come to their games, but they also have created a culture of show boating that is bad for young kids growing up wanting to play like their favorite players.
I think that young players in the MLB (Major League Baseball) need to take a step back, lose the arrogance and listen to old school players who are in the Hall of Fame who know a thing or two about how to play the game of baseball the right way.